The Afternoon Plane
"The Afternoon Plane" is the seventeenth episode of Miami Vice's third season. The episode premiered on February 20, 1987 and features the return of Orlando Calderone. Summary Tubbs' vacation prize is a lure by the Calderones to get him out of Miami and exact revenge. Plot Tubbs has won a week's all expense paid vacation to an island retreat and he and his girlfriend Alicia (Maria McDonald) are leaving after attending a wedding with Crockett, who gives him a hard time about buying the ticket from a young boy begging him to buy it. After arriving on St. Gerard, Tubbs runs into an escaped convict named Wolf (Vincent Phillip D'Onofrio), who claims to have been "pardoned", and is on vacation, just like he is. Tubbs is concerned about Wolf being on the island, but Alicia tries to calm him down and make sure he enjoys himself, but Tubbs wants to stop by the local police and fill them in, as he has no jurisdiction on the island. The local police chief will get confirmation of Wolf's parole "in a few days", as there is no phone service on the island, but he and Reuben (John Verea) are the only policemen on the island. Tubbs and Alicia relax, do some horseback riding, and make love. Tubbs walks out on the balcony and sees the same kid that sold him the ticket for his vacation, who tells the desk clerk that Xavier Calderone (Antone Pagan) has arrived, has guns, and to let Wolf know. Tubbs asks (rather roughly) if Xavier is kin to Orlando Calderone, Xavier is revealed to be Orlando's cousin, and Orlando's plane arrives in the afternoon. Tubbs wants to get Alicia off the island to avoid a confrontation with Orlando, after revealing to her how the Calderones killed his brother, his woman and his son. Tubbs sees the air strip radio operator and pays him to call out to any planes in the area, but none answer. Xavier and Wolf head to the airport, when the police chief sees them he lets them know the cop is theirs, and Xavier drops him a few Benjamins as a thanks from Orlando. At the marina, Tubbs asks about chartering a boat to Miami, but no one wants to help except one man who wanted to help but was forced down by another man, who asks him to have respeoct for Calderone's money. Tubbs goes to see Reuben for help, and is told that Calderone (the father) used the island to run coke through on the way to New York, then the inhabitants lost big money when his operation went out after his death, and the natives are not about to help the cop that caused it. Reuben said he will challenge Calderone himself but refuses to give Tubbs a gun. Tubbs wants Alicia to leave before Orlando arrives, but she refuses to leave his side. Alicia gets two tickets on the next plane out, while Tubbs walks through the town, he walks into a store and finds a friend from New York, Sally Cordova (Margaret Avery), who lives on the island, and will speak to Tubbs later. Reuben arms himself to meet Orlando, while Tubbs finds the man who seemed interested to help earlier at the dock, but he still refuses to help, and Tubbs leaves when the other fishermen arrive. Sally is packing to leave the island when Reuben arrives, determined to get Orlando, Sally tells him that Tubbs is the only one who can stop Calderone and that she doesn't think he can. A jealous Reuben storms out and heads for the airstrip. Tubbs goes to see Sally who tells him that she went from the ghetto to paradise thanks to Calderone (the father) and she owes him. Tubbs lets her know she paid the debt due to his killing of Tubbs' brother and of then Tubbs killing him. Sally says Reuben (her boyfriend) would fight with him and she lets Tubbs know he went to take out Wolf and Xavier. However, Wolf and Xavier shoot Reuben dead and his jeep's tires out when he gets there and drag his body into the brush, while Tubbs watches from afar. Alicia goes to see Sally, who explains to her Tubbs has no time to "babysit" her when he has three killers after him. In a church, Tubbs pleads for help from the congregation but gets nowhere, they want him dead too. Alicia and Sally head for the airport, while Tubbs walks through the town vainly trying to get a gun or some help. Finally, the man at the dock who wanted to help but was stared down by the locals brings Tubbs a rifle and shells. The townspeople clear the streets as Orlando's plane flies in. Tubbs rigs up a truck to drive without a driver while waiting. Orlando (John Leguizamo) arrives and he along with Xavier and Wolf go looking for Tubbs while Sally and Alicia wait at the airstrip. Tubbs uses his rigged Jeep as a diversion, gunfire erupts and Alicia heads back into town. Tubbs shoots down Xavier, but is prevented from getting his gun by a hail of fire. Alicia gets Xavier's gun and uses it to shoot down Wolf at the hotel, then is confronted by Orlando but her gun is empty, and Orlando takes her hostage. Alicia breaks away but is shot by Orlando, who in turn is killed by Tubbs. Alicia survives, and Tubbs carries her into the hotel. Notes * This episode marks the final appearance of the Calderones in Miami Vice. But we never know the fate of Tubbs' son he fathered with Angelina that was presumed killed in the Calderones' last appearance but actually survived. * Maria McDonald appeared in Season 1's "The Great McCarthy" as Vanessa, another Tubbs love interest. * Vincent D'Onofrio returned to police drama in Dick Wolf's Law and Order: Criminal Intent, and also starred as Private Leonard "Gomer Pyle" Lawrence in Stanley Kubrick's classic Full Metal Jacket ''with R. E. Ermey as the DI, Hartmann, who pushes Pyle to suicide. * This episode is reminiscent of the classic western ''High Noon. * Except for Crockett's brief appearance at the opening, Tubbs is the only Miami Vice star in the episode. * Margaret Avery was nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for her role in The Color Purple. * The episode mentions several times Tubbs killed Orlando's father when it was actually Crockett that shot him down. Music *"We Touch" by Loz Netto (Tubbs and Alicia having fun on island) Quotes *"The Calderones killed by brother, my woman and my son, and they'll rot in hell before they kill me!" -- Tubbs *"That Miami cop used to be a New York cop, and he is the only one that can stop Calderone!" -- Sally to Reuben *"Is this how you like your women...brave and stupid?!" -- Orlando Calderone to Tubbs after taking Alicia hostage Category:Miami Vice Season 3 Episodes